Looking for God through another man's eyes

By Brice Livingston

There are more than a handful of ways that we approach God and our belief in Christ. Here's a brief outline of some of the most common ways we arrange our beliefs:1

Natural Theology

Knowledge about God which is derived primarily from nature. Natural theology usually places a heavy emphasis on reason and philosophy.

Biblical Theology
Knowledge about God which is derived primarily from the Bible. The structure will often be arranged around major events of people of Scripture (e.g., Theology of Early Israel, Theology of the Prophets, Theology in Psalms, Theology of Paul, etc.).

Historical Theology
Knowledge about God which is derived from studying the development of ideas over time. The structure will often be arranged around the major periods of history which brought changes to theology (e.g., Theology of the Early Church, Theology of the Imperial Church, Theology of the Middle Ages, Theology of the Enlightenment and Reformation, etc.).

Systematic Theology
Knowledge about God which attempts to incorporate and combine all of the theological sources above. The structures are often arranged around major topics or categories of ideas which theologians have agreed upon over the centuries (e.g., Bibliology, Christology, Pneumatology, Ecclesiology, Soteriology, etc.).

Dogmatic Theology
Knowledge about God which includes everything above, but with an emphasis on those teachings and ideas which have the authoritative stamp of approval from the church.

Practical Theology
Theology which is built upon any of the previous types of theology, but which emphasizes the practical ways of living out these ideas in our own lives today.

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Most Christians agree that we should base our beliefs in the Bible and that scripture is authoritative on all matters of Christianity -- or at least we should agree.

What is Reformed Theology?
"Simply put, it is the theology of the Protestant Reformers and the heart of historical evangelicalism. As C.H. Spurgeon once said, Reformed theology is nothing other than biblical Christianity."2 Reformed Theology is closely associated with Calvinism which is based on the teachings of John Calvin, the second giant of the Protestant reformation next to Martin Luther. In this way, Reformed theology is a type of Historical Theology. But of course, John Calvin, as well as Martin Luther, based his beliefs on the Bible, so we can also say that Reformed Theology is Biblical theology. Great!

My Case against Reformed Theology

Point Number 1.

The Bible is God's word, inspired by the Holy Spirit and is authoritative. John Calvin's teachings as well as Luther's as well as St. Augustine's as well as mine, might be inspired by the Holy Spirit, but are not authoritative in the way that the Bible is. The Bible is a truism. Whereas my interpretation of the Bible (as well as Luther's, Calvin's and Augustine's) is an opinion.

To put it a different way, a thermometer might read sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature in the room is sixty-eight degrees. That is a truism. However, when you ask three people what that means, you might get three different answers. One might say it's cold, another comfortable, another warm, and then a Canadian might wander in on his moose and scold us for using Fahrenheit.

The point is this: Reformed theology is based on the opinions of extremely anointed, brilliant and dedicated men of God, but based on opinions nonetheless.

Point Number 2.
Every interpretation of the Bible is an opinion. But obviously some opinions are better than others and just because we all have opinions, doesn't mean we can escape the fact that some of us are right and some of us are wrong. So how do we make sure that we're right or at least not totally wrong? The key is in how we read the Bible. Let's go back to the thermometer.

To determine what sixty-eight degrees means, it's important to ask questions. What is the temperature outside? Is the thermometer also a thermostat? What time of day is it? Whose house are we in and how did the Canadian get here?

When we're studying historical documents the questions change. Who was the author? Who was the original reader? What was the reason it was written? What was going on in history? What was the culture like? What language was it written in? In order to extract the proper meaning from the Bible, it's important to study it within its historical context. And this is why Biblical theology is superior to any kind of Historical Theology.

Every year, we're making archaeological discoveries that help us better understand the historical context of the Bible and in turn help us to better interpret the meaning of scripture. Scholars have at their disposal such an abundance of archaeological discoveries pertaining to nations and laws and every aspect of ancient life that neither Luther nor Calvin had during their life-times. 

For a long time, scholars thought the Hittite nation was small and insignificant. Recent findings from the early 2000's indicate that they were in fact a very large and powerful nation. This is pertinent because in Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Joshua twenty-four, we find that the covenants between God and humanity follow a similar format to those of the suzerain/vassal treaties between the Hittites and their adversaries.3

If we once thought the Hittites were insignificant, as perhaps John Calvin may have thought in the early 16th century, but we now know they were powerful, it could be said that we now have a more accurate understanding on which to base our interpretation of scriptures in Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Joshua twenty-four than Martin Luther and John Calvin.

To reiterate, truism trumps opinion, historical context is a vital tool in the process of extracting proper meaning from scripture, and Reformed Theology is based on the 16th century opinions of an ill-equipped scholar.

Okay, so I've done a lot of generalizing. Not all reformed believers (many of whom are far smarter and better informed than I; and many of whom also hold such a reverence for God Almighty that I've been inspired to truly test my own beliefs) hold Calvinism as sacrosanct. Those who do, are still among the most God-focused Christians I've ever met. The Fathers of the Protestant Reformation are at least indirectly responsible for the Bible we all read in our own languages and I'm indebted to them in a way that I might never understand. Canadians are lovely people with manners that would put most Americans to shame.

I love our Church and I love our Christians, it's never my intention to "bash" another and it's certainly not my intent to scare non-believers away. I hope I was in no way disrespectful and if my ignorance was so flagrant that you feel the need to contact me, my email address is at the end of this post. The following "tips" for studying the Bible might help a displeased reader to better understand where I'm coming from and so I ask that he or she first read them before they contact me with any kind of grievance. When it comes down to it, I'm still learning. And in an effort to seek the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth I welcome differing opinions and hope that I hold my beliefs loosely enough so that they can be changed by the Truth found in the Bible.

Some other helpful tips for studying the Bible: 

We've already mentioned reading the different books of the Bible within their historical context.

A second principle might be to first understand the big-picture or the whole story and then go back and look at the details. Once we understand main themes in the Bible it's a lot easier to tackle the more difficult passages. "Go wide, before you go deep."

A third principle is a lot like the first, in that we understand the Bible was written for us, but not to us. In order to extract the meaning or the "timeless truth" from a particular passage or book, we have to approach it through the eyes of the original reader. Part of that comes from studying the historical context, but an equally important part of it has to do with setting down our own pre-conceived notions, biases and understandings, whether they're based in today's modern culture, an experience, what our parents taught us, or even what our church believes. In order to look through a proper lens, we have to first take off our glasses. If we don't first take off our "glasses", we end up projecting our beliefs, doctrines, political views, morals etc. onto scripture. And so, in essence, we're approaching the Bible with an idea and looking for support for that idea. And this is dangerous.

As an example, I recently read a short series of essays called, "God is an anarchist". The author freely admits that he was unhappy with the Church's teachings on God-ordained institutions and that he views "statism" as evil. What he decided to do, instead of taking the Bible for what it is and studying it properly, he approached the Bible with one idea in mind, (God is an anarchist) and guess what he found? Evidence to support his theory. The Bible doesn’t exist to support the beliefs we already have; to be used as ammunition in a weapon of our own design. The Bible exists to confront us with the Truth that transforms us into the image of Christ.

Our fourth principle to studying the Bible correctly is getting help from The Holy Spirit. This is probably the most important but least followed principle. I have personally met giants of faith who have studied the Bible for years, who have written commentaries, who have gone on archaeological digs, who speak multiple dead languages, and have lectured as experts on both the Old and New Testaments, but still choose to approach the Bible with a simple prayer, "Lord, what do You want to teach me?"

It's great to study the Bible and form doctrine and theology that's logical and coherent; it can be beautiful and helpful. But the danger to studying scripture with our natural minds alone, and without the aid of the Holy Spirit, is that we might miss the point. Natural leaves no room for Supernatural. What I mean by this is that God, the Author of the Bible, is supernatural and if we painstakingly form a set of ideas that fits neatly inside our natural minds, then we've effectively created a natural box inside of which the Holy Spirit will never fit or inhabit. If we study the Author's book in a way that puts barriers between us and Him, we might never actually meet the Author. And another name for a barrier between us and God, is sin.

So, to once again reiterate our four principles for studying the Bible properly:
1. Read it within its historical context
2. Go wide before you go deep
3. Let the Truth form your ideas
4. Ask the Holy Spirit for help

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As always, I've chosen to write about things that I don't fully understand. So, in the spirit of C.S. Lewis, if this isn't helpful, throw it out. My basic plea is that as Christians, we Honor God, we honor one another, we humbly seek the Truth, and we apply it in our own lives, families, churches, and jobs. I've provided a few links below to the sources I've used; feel free to check them out. If you want to tell me about your day or point out my ignorance, you can use my email address, bricelivingston@gmail.com. I'd honestly love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading, I'll be posting about some of my upcoming plans soon.

1 https://redeeminggod.com/types-of-theology/

2 http://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/what_is_reformed_theology/

3 http://chafer.nextmeta.com/files/v10n1_5lopez_covenants2israelite_covenants.pdf

Justice is merciful

God's gift of Christ to mankind was an act of mercy, as was His gift of the Law to the Israelites.

1. Mercy from ignorance.  God doesn't exist simply because He revealed Himself to humanity, He exists because He does. The same goes for right and wrong. Holiness and its antithesis existed far before God gave the law to Moses. Once He did, the Israelites no longer had to live as hopeless, oblivious pagans destined for death, but were then gifted with guidelines to follow so that each man and woman could put himself in right standing with God. In this way, the law gives mercy from ignorance.

2. Mercy from wickedness.  If someone destroys my property I can, as an individual, show mercy by not pressing charges. This is showing mercy on an individual level. But if someone commits a crime, it is the governing body's duty to punish him for his crime. In doing so, the governing body shows mercy to the rest of the nation. This is mercy from wickedness. The law of Moses gives mercy to Israel from their own wickedness.

3. Mercy from death.  The law of Moses, in essence, paves a pathway to holiness. Because holiness and life are conflated with one another; as are sin and death; the law of Moses also provides a pathway to life. Since the just consequence of sin is death, it is just for God to let Israel pass judgement on themselves by way of lawlessness. Without the law there is no knowledge of right and wrong, and without knowledge of right and wrong, there is violence and chaos and death. Which again, without Christ, is what we deserve. But instead God is merciful and provides Israel with the law of Moses. This is mercy from death.

Further thoughts:

The opposite of justice is not mercy. The opposite of justice is injustice. Law provides a framework for mercy to be shown. On one side of the coin there is law, justice and mercy and on the other side there is lawlessness, injustice and cruelty.

Jesus has redeemed humanity but we still live in a fallen world. This means that though the Holy Spirit has invaded those of us who confess that Jesus is our personal Lord and Savior, reconciling us to God through personal relationship with Him, the Kingdom of Heaven has not yet overthrown our world. Jesus came as a man for the redemption of man, but He will come again as a King for the redemption of Kingdoms. We are made perfect through Christ; His holiness has been imparted to us. But our governments have not been made perfect through Christ the King. I believe this is why it's the individual's job to show compassion, but it's the government's responsibility to uphold the law. Or, more accurately, the government shows compassion to the righteous by punishing the wicked. The law is good for those who obey it. And the law should be really bad for those who disobey it. A merciful, compassionate, government is a government that punishes wickedness always. Leniency for criminals is not merciful. The government's job is to ensure the well-being of the larger body of citizens; not the individual. By punishing the law-breaker with a punishment that fits the crime the government is honoring, encouraging and rewarding the citizens who have not broken the law. This is good and right.

Thank you

I'm both pleased and despondent to announce that after three rewarding years of full-time volunteer service with Youth With A Mission in Honolulu, my commitment will soon come to a close. I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity I've been given to serve and learn alongside such a tremendous community of Christians.

During my time with YWAM, I've been a student in their Discipleship Training School here in Honolulu, and I've held several different positions on staff; each as rewarding as the last. My current position as DTS Administrator has been one of the most excellent jobs I've ever had the privilege to hold and has provided me with numerous opportunities to learn and grow both in community and as an individual. Again, I'm extremely grateful.

The official end-date of my commitment is to be determined. However, I hope to leave my station within the good graces of my leadership and co-volunteers no later than the last week in August. As I make my transition out of YWAM, the success of our campus is at the forefront of my priorities. It is imperative to me that the Discipleship program specifically, and the leadership thereof, are poised to not only continue as they were, but rather poised to launch into proverbial orbit in terms of effectiveness and vitality. I love YWAM Honolulu and the people within; it would be at best, a mild disservice to them and our Creator if I were to leave without first ensuring their well-being.

So, what's next?

My subsequent "mission-field" is three-fold. During my three years in YWAM, it's become evident to me that I care deeply about three things: Family, the Church, and the United States of America. I believe fully that solving the first two, will inevitably make a profound impact on the third and although my role in these three spheres of society is still unknown to me, I'm going to start by spending time with Mom and Dad.

One of the difficulties that has come with living in Honolulu has been my inability to spend time with my family. So, in addition to spending time with my parents, I will also be attending a family reunion over Labor day weekend at Beaver Camp in the Adirondacks. I'm very excited to see Grandma and Grandpa and all of my cousins as well as my two nieces and my nephew. On a related note, my girlfriend, Allison Miller from Sarasota, will be graduating in August from University of South Florida in Tampa with her nursing degree and is currently looking for a job in Western New York. We hope to have her join us for our reunion depending on when she is able to take the NCLEX. We're also very excited to finally live on the same continent.

Those are the solid plans. Now onto the "hopefuls" and "not-so-sures". 

I've applied at Faith International University in hopes of achieving my BA through one of their online programs. (They offer a significant discount to YWAMers and in some cases, even offer credits toward your major.) After graduating, I hope to continue my education. Some possible pathways include seminary, law school, political science, journalism or inductive Bible study. Right now, pursuing anything beyond a bachelor's degree is many months and many dollars into the future. (But at least I've narrowed it down.)

Any practical thinker might be wondering if I ever plan to get a job. I do! As of right now, I have a few ideas but nothing concrete and I might just end up doing whatever's available at the time. 

The ultimate reality, other than the Kingdom of Heaven itself, is that it is still March. And while I can make all sorts of plans based on where I believe God is leading me and based on the ideas and cares that I believe God has placed in my heart; I have to constantly remind myself to seek Him daily; to focus on the task at hand; to remember that while God is constant, circumstances are not. I have reason to believe that God is "smiling" on all of these plans, but if He wants to change things up, I won't choose to worship my ways over Him. There's always room for Him to change my mind. In addition to staying flexible, it's important that I remember we currently have twenty students leaving for Asia in just a few weeks and another school starting in April. For all I know, one of these students could be the next Billy Graham and even if they're not, they still deserve my full commitment and attention.

At some point I'd like to return to YWAM Honolulu. I believe that the training that takes place here is of the highest value for any young person. Not everyone becomes a missionary to Asia, but everyone comes away with AT LEAST an inkling of who God has created them to be and what He has created them to do. They come away with the tools any young Christian needs to sustain their relationship with God. They come away empowered with the Holy Spirit and humbled by His majesty. They come away with the ability to make an impact in their families, churches and communities. As one of those students myself, I owe all that I am to God's magnificent grace, my exceptional parents, and to the unparalleled people with whom I have lived for the past three years. Without YWAM Honolulu I would not be the man I am today. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

If you would like to get in touch, my email is bricelivingston@gmail.com. Thank you for the wonderful support from friends and family at Alden Mennonite Church and Clarence Center/Akron Mennonite. As a full-time volunteer, I rely fully on support from churches, family and friends to help pay my staff-fees. If you would like to help me out over the next few months, you can make a tax-deductible donation through PayPal. Our account is ywamoahu@gmail.com. I look forward to seeing you all again! Blessings.

Not a volleyball

“The fear of the Lord,” is probably mostly about reverence for the one, true God who created us in His image and saved us from certain death. But, what if the fear of the Lord is also about trembling in silent terror at the most fearsome and terrible Power that’s ever existed? Of course we understand that God is compassionate and loving, and He’s a good Father and He’s merciful. But again, He’s holy and awesome and probably terrifying.

Solomon said that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Paul said that “Jesus became to us wisdom from God” and that “God has hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ.” I think the key word that I’ve always missed in the verse from the book of Proverbs is the word “beginning”. The fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom; not wisdom in its entirety, just the beginning. Jesus is the way the truth and the life; there’s nothing good or wise outside of Him, but in order to know Christ and understand why the Gospel is good news, it might serve us well to first examine a pre-Jesus revelation of God Almighty.

The first thing I want to point out is that God killed people. The flood, Soddom and Gommorah, plagues in Egypt, Korah’s followers, Uzzah... the list goes on. But before you set yourself on fire, I’ll admit that death is ultimately a result of sin and that outside of a relationship with God there is no life. So, to say God killed people might not be totally accurate but the point is that if He so chooses, God has every right to take my life.

The second, is that I think God probably created hell. I won’t go into how this isn’t really a bad thing, but I’m pretty sure that He created everything in existence. And whether hell is an eternal lake of fire, eternal separation from God, or an infinite “snuffing out” of your existence...the nature of hell isn’t the point. The point is that outside of Christ, it’s what we all deserve.

Third. God cursed land, animals, people and entire nations. He’s also blessed land, animals, people and entire nations, but the bottom line is that 100 percent of what I have; whether it’s my health or my non-existent wealth; it all belongs to God.

Fourth. God was revealed as Holy, Holy, Holy before He was revealed as Love. Moses wore a veil in God’s presence and the Jews wouldn’t even say God’s name out loud. Basically... It’s a struggle to get on my knees when I pray, and that probably shouldn’t be the case.

So, just to recap...even though I’m a child of God, loved and redeemed, and part of the most magnificent family to ever exist, God has the right to take my life, I deserve hell, all my possessions are in God’s hands, and just because Jesus is my friend doesn’t mean He doesn’t deserve my respect, awe, and endless praise.

Okay. Story time.

The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it belongs to Him. For the sake of the story, let’s say you’ve kind of “stolen” yourself from God and after a while you realize that it was probably a big mistake to steal from God and you get this bright idea that maybe you should sort of...return yourself. The problem is that you’re dirty and broken and maybe not worth as much as you once were. So you’re scared that God will be angry or something. No worries. You’re just being ignorant or arrogant. The truth is that Jesus said, come as you are. Your damage isn’t anything God hasn’t seen before. He makes all things new and your worth isn’t determined by what you’ve done, it’s determined by Who you belong to. I guarantee He’ll be thrilled to have you back regardless of whether or not you’re in one piece. And it just so happens that He’s really cool so when you return yourself, He makes you whole again.

Okay, let’s go through this scenario again. The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. You’ve stolen yourself away from God. You completely trash yourself and then because you know deep down that it’s the right thing to do, you decide to return yourself; because you belong to God. You skulk into God’s house all tattered and filthy with your head down. God hears you come in and turns on the light. He takes one look at you and He’s FURIOUS. Not only did you steal something, you went out and ruined it. He immediately calls the police, and despite all your tears and pleas for forgiveness, you go straight to jail for grand larceny and destruction of property.

So, was it wrong to steal? Was it the right thing to do to return what was stolen? Did God have every right to be angry? Do bad decisions warrant consequences? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. That’s justice. Grace isn’t about how bad I am. It’s about how good God is. As much as I might think it’s all about me, this whole relationship is actually about God getting back what’s rightfully His. The earth is the Lord’s; AND everything in it.

The point is that God deserves to be worshipped and loved not because He has saved us, but because he is God. Regardless of whether or not He’s loving and forgiving and desires an intimate relationship with us, He’s the King of Kings. That alone is worth your life as a sacrifice.

I’m not saying that God is a ruthless tyrant. Of course He’s compassionate and kind and cares so much about each one of us that we can’t even fathom that much affection and intimacy. But my point again, is that we’re extremely fortunate that our God is exactly who He is; both King of Kings AND loving Father.

God has every right to take my life and send me to hell, but He chose to take His own life instead. Everything I have still belongs to God, but what God desires more than sacrifice is righteousness which has been imparted to me through Christ. I’m no longer God’s enemy. Instead, I’m his adopted son, an heir to His kingdom who sits next to His throne along with Jesus, and I’ve been given the mind of Christ, to know and do God’s will forever and always.

This is good news. This is the Gospel emboldened with truth. This is great news made even greater because of an understanding of who God is.

I’m not completely sold on this idea that “the fear of the Lord” is having a realization of extreme terror and trembling. Like I said before, it’s probably mostly about reverence. So if you find the idea of a terrifying God appalling, that’s probably OK. He’s love. All His wrath has already been poured out on His own Son. But it probably wouldn’t hurt to stop throwing His name around like a volleyball and try bowing our heads once in awhile when we pray.

As a closing thought, Solomon also said, “...knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” So, I guess my desire is to know God in and out and I think as I get to know Him better, I’ll probably have a better understanding of what it means to have, “the fear of the Lord.”

Thanks for reading! I hope you’re all doing well. I’m still a full-time volunteer at YWAM Honolulu, working mostly with administration for our Discipleship Training School. We have four teams in Asia right now and three teams scheduled to leave in the beginning of April. If you think about it, you can keep me in your prayers; my staff commitment ends in September and although I’m not sure that means I’ll be parting ways with YWAM, I have a few options to weigh out. Blessings to you!